Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-19
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 10, 1887.
Ahont Pensions.

ABOUT FtuSlOAS'
II should liz n subject of general con
graduation that the soldiers of the war
with Mexico are 10 be pensioned. Most
Of these soldiers reside in the South, or
they would have been pensioned long
ago. There is one section of the bin
which does not reflect much credit upon
the congressman whose sectional feel
ings demanded its insertion. We mean
of course the section which provides
that no person tailoring under political
disabilities shall receive n pension under
this bill. This section, though general
in IFS terms. was aimed at Mr.. JEFFER-
son DAVIS. who is, we believe, the only
soldier of the Mexican war who is Ia
boring under such disabilities. 1t
is a rather small matter. That's
all. We do not by any means
censure the friends of the bill for al
lowing that section to be Incorporated
into it, seeing that in no other way
could they have secured the passage of
the bill and justice 10 the patriotic men
who added an empire to our national
dornain. The same miserable prejudice
had TO be consulted in order to secure
the passage of another bill that went
through the House of Representatives
on Monday We allude to the bill for
the relief of o. +. ADAMS, of Washing
ton, n. c., which had i'll it the words
"the war between the States" but
could not be passed until the words
"the war of the rebellion had been
substituted.
Surely the families of the men who
recently lost their lives near Norfolk
in cndeavOring TO save the lives OF a
number of their fellow-men are enti-
tied to pensions. We cannot imagine
a more meritorious claim. 1t would be
inexcusable to allow any mere techni-
calities as to the sort of service in
which those gallant men were en-
gagged to stand in the way of pen
sioning their families. We do not
like civil-pengion list, properly SO
called, hut we cannot admit that men
who lost their own lives in endeavoring
to save lives imperilled in the storms of
old Ocean were not as truly Gin the
fore front of battle" so far rs that sort
of service entities men to pensions, rs
the most daring soldier that ever took
his life in his hand and braved the
dangers of shot and shell.
The pension appropriation bill was
finally passed on Monday. 1t appro-
PIRATES seventy-fve millions of dollars,
almost all of which Will be paid out in
the northern States. Twenty-Five mil
lions of that amount will come, it is
calculated, out Of the pockets of the
southern people. What a drain upon
their resources. Itwould not be strange
if region thus made by circumstances
the victim of the very worst species of
what is known in Ireland as absentee
ism " shou&l be growing poorer and
poorer every day. But We believe that
such is not the case. In spite of sec
tional legislation, the South is growingin
wealth as well as population. But what
a short.sighted policy certain southern
men in Congress pursue when, instead
of voting to tighten the burdens of their
constituents, they raise constitutional
objections to the BLAIR bill, and object
to the passage of river-and-harbor bills.
Instead of adhering to such policy,
southern congressman ought TO vote for
every bill that would tend to equalize
the burthens of Government 80 as to
prevent these burthens from pressing
so heavily and 50 uniustly upon the
shoulders Of this section.
The civil-pension list of a free coun-
try ought to be very short one, if in
deed there ought TO be any such list at
all. 1t is rather hard upon the unsuc-
cessful aspirants to the United States
Senate, the Supreme Court bench, the
Office of President of the United States,
&c, &C., that they should thus be kept
out of those high offices and fat salaries,
and then be forced by law to pay pen
sions to the families Of the men who
defeated them in their efforts to attain
10 those places and secure those salaries.